Two moth stunners added to the year list.

Friday 21st July 2023.

Left, the tiny Apple Leaf Miner and right, my first Blood-vein moth of the year.

For the third morning running, it was back out into the garden at 5am to check on the mothbox and again, there was a very healthy number of moths present which kept me busy for at least an hour. The weather was still and calm with a clear blue sky and cool with a temperature of 13 degrees centigrade.

My first Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing of the year.

There was another bumper haul of moths with 147 moths of 38 species which was dominated by the immigrant Silver Y’s. At least 35 of these moths, with both the darker and the smaller greyer forms present, including 5 that were in my back bedroom! Yesterday's Jersey Tiger is still hanging on, but it really does look on its way out. Just two new moths for the year and two stunners too. A Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing was found on one of the outside egg trays and a fresh Blood-vein was found at the bottom of the moth box.

Tree-lichen Beauty.

In turn of moth numbers, Silver Y’s easily outnumbered any other species, but 13 Light Brown Apple Moths and 12 Common Rustics was amazing along with 9 Apple Leaf Miner, 8 Marsh Dowd and 7 Bird-cherry Ermine among the many micro moths. I read on one of the moth Facebook sites that some guy had thousands of the latter in his moth trap two nights ago! 

Bird-cherry Ermine.

Moths present this morning included the following:

• 35 Silver Y
• 1 Jersey Tiger
• 4 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 1 Tree-lichen Beauty
• 3 Brimstone Moth
• 4 Garden Carpet
• 2 Lackey
• 4 Large Yellow Underwing
• 1 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (NFY)
• 4 Marbled Beauty
• 1 August Thorn
• 4 Lime-speck Pug
• 12 Common Rustic
• 1 Pale Mottled Willow
• 1 Uncertain
• 3 Double-striped Pug
• 1 Blood-vein (NFY)
• 2 Cloaked Minor
• 2 Riband Wave
• 1 Lychnis
• 1 L-album Wainscot
• 3 Common Plume
• 1 False Cacao Moth
• 3 Mother of Pearl
• 13 Light Brown Apple Moth
• 1 Meal Moth
• 5 Fulvous Pearl
• 2 White-shouldered House Moth
• 7 Bird-cherry Ermine
• 3 Garden Grass-veneer
• 1 Pellitory Cosmet
• 2 Privet Tortrix
• 8 Marsh Dowd
• 1 Beautiful Plume
• 9 Apple Leaf Miner
• 3 Ruddy Streak
• 1 Small Grey
• 1 Golden-brown tubic